As a part of the PBHA alumni family, you join a group of thousands of people committed to social justice. Our alumni have gone on to teach, create workers’ alliances, open youth shelters, advocate for the rights of those with mental illness, and everything in between. While we are proud of the individual accomplishments of our alumni, we are especially heartened by the ways in which our alumni connect after PBHA to support each other and build a social justice community.

To me, the history of PBHA and Phillips Brooks’ legacy at Harvard and in Boston and Cambridge are the roots of service learning, and current programs and students and staff who operate PBHA on a daily basis are the trunk. And the branches–those are people like me who were transformed by their time at PBHA, who keep stretching and impacting and influencing beyond PBHA, who aim for the sun while hanging tight to the roots, and who know their place in the system depends on the success of the rest of the tree and the forest.

–Priscilla Chan ’01

At a 2015 youth-organized rally calling for more youth jobs in Boston and an end to police violence against youth of color, PBHA alumni were present as co-organizers, reporters, and youth workers. (Current Summer Urban Program directors showed up in force as well!)

Whether you tutored a child in Mission Hill, worked an overnight shift at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, or led a protest outside Mass Hall for a living wage, you’re a part of the alumni family. Those who volunteered once a week and those who were multiple-year Officers are all PBHAers.

We believe that this post-PBHA community can be as powerful a force for social change as the current students and programming–that’s why we try to build as many ways as possible for alumni to stay connected to each other as well as the organization. Local alumni are invited to attend events like our annual Midsummer Celebration, or be paired with a current undergraduate through our alumni mentoring program. Alumni who live outside of Boston and Cambridge can attend Alumni Weekend (held every fall), participate in their local regional group, and share advice and expertise with current students through training or mentorship.